Roxbury Community College sees steady enrollment rate

By Megan Donovan

ROXBURY – At a time of recession and increasing unemployment, community colleges across the country have seen jumps in enrollment. Though most have seen increases of at least 5 percent, at Roxbury Community College, the number of students taking courses for credit has increased only 3.5 percent from 2007 to 2008.

“We still have classes that are vacant during the day,” said Walter Clark, dean of enrollment at Roxbury Community College.

Community colleges such as Capital in Hartford, Conn. and Bunker Hill in Charlestown saw enrollment from 2007 to 2008 increase more than 5 percent and have since put caps on admission. Roxbury Community College, though, is seeking more students to enroll in classes.

“Our demographics are different. There is a lot of hand holding,” Clark said. “Out of all the individual community colleges in Massachusetts, we serve students who are the most economically depressed.”

More than two-thirds of degree-seeking Roxbury Community College students are part-time. Most work jobs during the day and take classes at night. Many are also the first in their family to attend college.

“There is a lot of anxiety for adults seeking to earn a degree,” Clark said. “Students right out of high school are used to theory, but adult learners are a little different. They question: ‘How can I use this information in my job?’”

Every semester, the college holds a career fair, making up to 40 employers accessible to students, alumni, and the surrounding community. The fairs aim to connect students to higher paying jobs.

“When employers commit to do the fair, they commit to hiring someone,” said Irina Galatskaya, fair organizer and career placement and planning counselor at Roxbury Community College.

The career center holds resume and interview workshops in order to prepare those heading out into the job market. The center is also responsible for attracting new students. They attend every area high school’s college fair and have made efforts to simplify the application process in order to attract students.

“We just ask for a high school diploma, application and $10,” said Gloria Castro, an admissions counselor. “We will not look at GPA or transcripts.”

The average age of a student at the college is 28, and almost 70 percent are women. Clark said those factors, along with other sociological reasons, skew retention rates when compared with four-year colleges.

“Mothers can’t find day care for their children and are forced to withdraw,” Clark said.

Because of lack of support and financial inadequacies, some students still find accessibility to college life difficult.

“My 6-year-old son has a computer, but my students don’t have a laptop, desktop, anything,” Clark said.